2002 Inman Innovator Award Nominees Announced: Real Estate and Mortgage Industry Firms to Be Honored at Real Estate Connect on July 24

SAN FRANCISCO, July 16 /PRNewswire/ — From burgeoning start-ups to Fortune 500 giants, trailblazers who have developed innovations that streamline the real estate transaction and save consumers money are among the nominees for the coveted 2002 Inman Innovator Awards, which were announced today.

One top firm in each of the four award categories will be announced during Real Estate Connect: The Commerce and Technology Show (http://www.inman.com/connect) produced by Inman News, the world's leading real estate news and information company. The award ceremony will be held Wednesday evening, July 24, during the three-day conference at San Francisco's Palace Hotel.

Nominees include:

Most Innovative Company: Cendant Real Estate, Ebby Halliday, Edina Realty, eRealty, GoneHome, IndyMac Bank, John L. Scott Real Estate, Keller Williams Realty, LendingTree and Yahoo! Real Estate.

Most Innovative Transaction Program: eBay Real Estate's Offer Management System, eFROGG, Elynx's Web Posting System, Digital Escrow Services, First American's XML Legal and Vesting Services, HomeGain Lead Management, RealtyData.com's Report Generation System and Stewart Title's SureClose.

Most Innovative Use of the Internet: CorrigoNet, ConnectingNeighbors.com, CounselorMAX, ListAndSend, MRIS Bridge, PruWeb, ShowingAlert and UpwardMotion.

Most Innovative Use of Technology in Lending: ABN AMRO Mortgage's OneFee Product, Banton's ValueWizard, BridgeSpan's eMortgageAxis, DataQuick's Prospect Finder, Domania's Portfolio Protect, Ellie Mae's ePASS Business Center, FNC's Collateral Management System, FNIS ValueSure Plus, GoLoan Realtor Direct Mortgage Services and Nexstar's PBN Program.

Inman News will also present a special Innovator Award to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the real estate industry. The list of nominees is available online http://www.inman.com/innovators.htm.

The 7th Inman Innovator Awards will be held on the evening of July 24th, 2002, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. as part of the programming for Real Estate Connect, the real estate industry's premier business and technology conference.

ABOUT REAL ESTATE CONNECT

Real Estate Connect brings together some 1,500 top industry leaders from the real estate industry, mortgage lenders, technology firms as well as leading industry analysts and news media.

Cosponsors for the conference include MSN HomeAdvisor, Freddie Mac, Realtor.com, First American Real Estate Solutions, Prudential Real Estate, LendingTree, Yahoo! Real Estate, DataQuick, Fidelity National Information Solutions, GetSmart, Etranscentral, Mortgage.com, Stewart Title, The California Association of REALTORS, and HomeGain. Other sponsors and partners include GE Interlogic's Supra Products, Interealty, Keller Williams, MBA's CampusMBA, Ellie Mae Royal LePage Real Estate Services, The Realty Alliance, Appraisalbuzz.com, The Real Estate Cyberspace Society, Comstock Net Services and The Alberta Real Estate Association.